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Updated Saturday, April 18, 2009 9:12 am TWN, The China Post news staff

The Straits Exchange Foundation's (SEF) Chairman Kao Koong-lian, right, is seen hugging with Zheng Lizhong, left, vice president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan ...

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ARATS negotiators greeted by protestors

TAOYUAN, Taiwan -- A delegation of Chinese negotiators were greeted by pro-independence protesters upon their arrival in Taiwan yesterday for a round of talks about details of possible agreements between Taiwan and China.

The delegation was tightly protected by more than 300 police at the international airport in Taoyuan, blocking the protesters from the Democratic Progressive Party.

Scuffles erupted between the protesters and police, but the Chinese negotiators from the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) left the airport unobstructed.

The delegation, led by ARATS Vice President Zheng Lizhong, will meet with representatives of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) today to hammer out the text of three agreements and one joint statement.

SEF Vice Chairman Kao Koong-lian, welcoming the visitors, said the Chinese negotiators must have enjoyed the convenience of cross-strait direct flights while traveling to Taiwan from China.

Zheng told the hosts that since four cross-strait agreements were signed last November, exchange between the sides have been more frequent and convenient.

The number of chartered flights has increased because of the agreements, but both sides are looking to further expand the aviation links.

Both sides are expected to reach agreements on the launch of regular cross-strait passenger flights, collaboration in fighting crime, and financial cooperation.

They are likely to issue a joint statement on opening Taiwan to Chinese investment.

The agreements are set to be signed by SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung and his ARATS counterpart Chen Yunlin during their next meeting in the Chinese city of Nanjing in late April or early May.

It will be the third formal meeting between the two top envoys since last June to ease tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has hoped that the proposal to sign a cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement could be raised for discussion during the Chiang-Chen dialogue.

Meanwhile, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Lai Hsing-yuan said SEF and ARATS are the only “regular channel” for cross-strait talks.

The MAC chief was commenting on the significance of other high-profile meetings in China where Taiwan representatives take part.

She said any issues could be discussed in these meetings, but formal negotiations between Taipei and Beijing must be conducted between SEF and ARATS.

She said the MAC is seeking parliamentary endorsement for the upcoming Chiang-Chen meet.

She said she will give a preliminary briefing on the meeting to Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng tomorrow before giving a formal report to the parliament's interior affairs committee Wednesday.

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Comments

April 18, 2009 ivanyang21@

Are those protesters puppets of the Democratic Progressive Party? Why does the flag of the party appear at the demonstration scene, which would surely blemish the reputation of its own and meanwhile tarnish the image of Taiwan at the gate of the Republic of China?

Earlier this month, one young man holding its flag protested against being rejected by the police from entering the memorial concert of the ex-President and the news footage clearly told viewers in front of TV that he was faking. But he shouted out "the police officer hit and pushed him down" instead. I felt that his histrionics couldn't dupe anyone but humiliated himself and the party. And the father of this young man said that we should not express thanks to any member of the Chiang family and accused Chiang Kai-shek as a killer. Perhaps!! He was right on some points. However, without Chiang Kai-shek, his son, and those veterans, they would not survive and lead a life on this beautiful island. Shouldn't those protesters and the DPP members express their little appreciation for the ancestors who fought and fed people in Taiwan before?

Members of the DPP should not always be involved in scuffles that frequently cause violence and irrationally disturb the harmony here in Taiwan.